Garment hanger



NOV. 30, 1943. H, J GRlEvsHABER 2,335,243

` GARMENT HANGER Fuga opt. 15, 1941 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT HANGER Henry J. Grieshaber, Chicago, Ill.

Appli-cation October 15, 1941, Serial No. 415,044

3 Claims. (Cl. 38-102) The present invention relates to garmenthangers, and it has particular reference to a holder that is adapted to receive a suit of mens clothing, and to retain the several articles thereof in a smooth and neat manner.

In connection w'ith my improved structure, I have provided novel means whereby the pants portion of the suit may be stretched or held taut to retain the desired crease in the leg portions thereof, while at the same time avoid the possibility of articles accidentally falling out of the pockets of the pants. The means for maintaining the pants in a taut condition is of special construction and avoids the formation of a transverse wrinkle or fold across the knee or central portion of the pants legs such as usually results when the legs of the pants are folded over the narrow transverse bar which is usually p-resent in the Well-known types of garment-hangers.

One of the aims of my present invention or improvement is to provide a garment-hanger that is novel in the construction and the arrangement of its several parts. Further objects are to provide a garment-hanger that is dependable in performing the functions for which it has been devised; is effective in holding the pants in a neat and smooth manner; and is economical to manufacture so that it may be sold to the user at a retail price that is competitive with other garment-hangers which may be on the market.

Numerous other aims and advantages of my present invention or impro-vement wiil be obvious to persons who are skilled in the art after the construction and operation of my garment-hanger is understood from the Within disclosure. I i' prefer to accomplish the objects of my invention, and to practice the same, in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, in connection with which reference is herein made to the accompanying drawing that forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, looking at one side of my improved garment-hanger and showing a pair of pants thereon in broken lines.

Figure 2 is another view, also in perspective, looking at the opposite side of my garmenthanger.

Figure 3 is a fragmental detail, shown in edge elevation, disclosing a modified portion of my garment-hanger.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are more or less schematic, and that they are for the purpose of disclosing a preferred or typical emlll bodiment of my improved garment-hanger or the like. In this drawing, the same, reference characters are used to identify like parts Wherever the same parts appear throughout the different views.

The curved or arcuate coat-hanger member 5, which may be of Wood or any other suitable material, is provided with the usual supporting hook 6, and its under edge is formed With a longitudinal groove or channel l to receive a relatively thin plate 8 that has its upper margin shaped to correspond with the curvature of the coat-hanger member 5. The plate B is preferably ply-wood or ber-board to give it a certain amount of rigidity, and its top edge is secured in the channel 'I by cement, nails, or in any other suitable manner. It of course will be understood that this attachment may be accomplished merely by nailing or cementing the top face of the board to one of the side faces of the coat-hanger member 5, If desired, the lower portions of the side edges of the board may be tapered inwardly slightly, but this is not essential except in the interest of econ.. omy of material or for the purpose of convenience or appearance.

At the lower portion of the board, there is a member 9 that provides a rounded or curved surface about which the legs of the pants may be placed when they are arranged on the garmenthanger in the manner desired. This member 9 comprises a piece cr" comparatively thin riberboard o-r the like that has its longitudinal margins IB doubled or folded over upon itself to form a hollow element that is loop-shaped in crosssection so that it may be mounted with the margins IB disposed upon the respective opposite sides 0r faces of the board 8, substantially as shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawing. Elongated cleats I I are connected to the edges of the member S so that their ends will project beyond the ends of said member and also beyond the side edges of the board 8, and these projecting ends are adapted to be drawn towards each other by suitable clamping devices such as bolts l2 and wing-nuts I3. By loosening the tension of theI clamping elements the member 9 is adapted to be moved to different positions up or down upon the lower portion of the board 8, thus to increase or diminish the space between the top of the board and the lower rounded edge of said member t0 permit of adjustment for different or eXtreme lengths of pants. 1n lieu of the detailed structure of the member 9 just described, the lower portion of the board 9 may be rolled back upon itself, in the manner shown at I4 in Figure 3 of the drawing, and secured in place by means of rivets or other devices.

The parts of the apparatus which have been thus far described, when considered as a whole, are adapted to constitute a relatively stiff body or similar support for mounting the parts of the device that are adapted to hold the pants in position on said body, and said body may be made entirely of sheet metal, or wood, ply-board, o-r ber-board. It is preferred to employ the fiberboard because it is tough, light in weight, and if the proper gauge or thickness is selected, it is capable of being readily shaped to form the tu-l bular curved member 9 (or It) without the u se of special tools.

It is the practice to provide belt-loops in spaced positions at the waist-line of trousers, and in devising my improved holder I have utilized these belt-loops to support and anchor the top portion of the pants. In this connection, I have provided a pair of freely movable slats orblades 5,155, thatare preferably elongated Vstrips of woo-d, `the ends ofwhich have up-turned lobes l 6, and these blades are adapted to swing freely on flexible means Il connected to their mid-portions.` `The exible meansmay be a chain, tape, or the like, that may connect the blades and havelits intermediate -portion removably placed over or in a clip on the coat-hanger.V In the form shown-the intermediate portion of the means is` anchored to the' top of the body structure whereby 'to provide two pendent connector members l1. The blades `l are nominally independent of 'each other and are adapted to be inserted through two or more belt-loops of the pants, preferably loops spaced widely from eachother. Y l

After the waist portion of the pants has been mounted on the apparatus in the manner described in the foregoing paragraph, the lower portions of Ythe pants legs,'which then extend beyond the rounded bottom edge of the khanger body, are folded over upon the other side of the body, as shown in Figure 2 Vof the drawing, in which position the ends of the legs are adapted to be held in place by suitable means that are of rboth an adjustable and -yieldable character. The portion of the pants legs which are now uppermost, if .the apparatus is in an upright position, are engaged between the separable members of a suitable clamp to maintain the pants iirmly'upon the hanger.

The clamp shown herein comprises a pair of facing jaws I8 Vthat are connected together by means of a spring arch I9 of V-shape, the jaws being held pressed towards each other by means cfa slide-ring 2G that encircles the arms of-the spring archV and may be moved to and from the jaws to `tighten or loosen the-latter asV desired. The clamp is connected at its upper end to an elastic lor yieldable element such as a4 coiled spring 2|, vwhich spring in turn is connected to thefree end of a ilexible elementv22 such as a chain, tape, strap orlthe like that preferably is longer than the distance from the top of the' spring to the center of the coat-hanger member 5 to which the upper end of this iiexible element is secured in any suitable manner. A hook, stud, or other means 23 projects from the coat-hanger and, when the flexible element 22 has been pulled taut, the said element is adapted to be engaged with the hook 23 to hold the pants in proper position. It will be understood that the flexible element 22 is pulled towards the top of the garment-hanger sufiiciently to expand or extend the spring 2| to such an extent that there will be y a Vyielding pull upon the legs of the pants which willassist or tend to maintain the latter in position and to keep the desired crease in the front and rear of the pants legs especially where the legs engage with the rounded lower part of the body structure.

What I claim is:

' 1. A pants-hanger embodying a rigid, non-collapsible flat body; an enlargedY member adjustably mounted at the lower portion of said body and having an arcuate surface of substantial diameter and about which the intermediate portion of the pants are adapted to be disposed; and devices on opposite sides of the top of Vsaid flat body for attachment to separate portions of the pants; the devices upon one side of said body comprising a pair of elongated stripsv adapted for insertion through the belt-loops of the pants, and flexible members separately connecting said strips to said body; and the devices upon the opposite side of'said body comprising a clamp adapted for removable engagement with the cuiT-ends of the pants, a yieldable element connected to said clamp, and means adjustably connecting said yieldable element to the upper portion of said flat body. n

. 2. A pants-hanger embodying a rigid, non-collapsible iiat plate; means on opposite sides of the top of said plate adapted to anchor the respective ends of the pants disposed about the lower edge of said plate, one of said means being adjustable and yieldable; a sheet of material folded upon itself in loopeform with its margins upon opposite sides of said plate at the bottom thereof; and devices for securing said looped sheet in various positions on said plate.

3. A pants-hanger comprising a rigid flat plate; a sheet of material Vfolded upon itself in loop-'form and disposed with its margins upon opposite sides of said plate at the bottom thereof; devices for securing said looped sheet in various positions on said plate; adjustable and yieldable means at one side of the top of said plate for holding. one end of the pants; and means 'at the other side of the top of said plate for holding the other end .of the pants, the said pants-holding means together adapted to maintain the intermediate portion of the pants in taut condition around said looped sheet.

HENRY J. GRIESHABER. 

